Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-01-27
we,I-skeDt Secrets.

DIR. Lincoiu, one OF the most prominent Of
the physicians here, was the regular attend
ant Of President Arthur Since the latter's
death the doctor has given an aCoounS Of
two serious attacks Of illness Of Arthur
when he vas President abou5 which the
public has never heard g woId. arthur
came near dying three .imes-ooce whiie ho
was yce. President ana twice while hs was
President. One attack, which aoarly car.
ried him of, and which is known 70 the
public. occurred on board tho Tallapoosa
when Mr.. Arthur was absent on his Florida
trip. The news OF this attack got out, and
within few days anerward exact details Of
the danger through which the President had
passed were given. These stories were al
that time denied st tho White House in the
most positive and dogmatic way. The
President was so sensitive upon the subject
of his health that tho obaequous Eusmbers
of his personal staff felt called upon to make
denials of what they knew to be true. DE-.
Lincoln says there were two other occasions
when the President came as near dying as
on the occasion Of his Florida trip. His
first serious attack occurred ia Senator
Jones's house, or Capitol Hill, when Arthur
was Vice President. The attack took place
during Arthur's visit TO Washington IL July,
after he had been called here to await
the result OF Gariield's wounds
Mr.. Arthur at the time was weighed down
with worry and responsibility. He Wes q
very emotional man. Ehe criticisms at
that time. the excitement of MS surround
iugs and the responsibility which was
threatening TO come upon bis shoulders,
fAf 1nttuguCp
which depressed him very much Then he
caught cold, and this cold brought on az
attack of nervous rheumatism DR.. Lin
coin was summoned to attend MIN one
pight, and found Mr. Arthur In q very dan
gerous condition. DR.. Lincoln really thought
he would die. The news of the attack was
we'll kept Not 8 single member OF the
Garfield Cabinet ever knew it. The know
ledge was confined 10 DR.. Leonard and Sen
stor Jones. Not even the servants 10 the
White House were given TO undersraud that
the illness was anything more tdau 81 cr-
binary cold Think Whet q sensation vas
suppressed by this closemouthed doctoll
Garfield was lying st the point Of death at
the White HOUSE and bis successor, for
twenty. -four hours was at the point ofdeeth
in another part the town.
The second occasion when DIR. Lincoln
was called in to stand between Mr.. Arthur
and second call OF death was after Mr..
Arthur's return from the Yellowstone val
ley. The trip was very severe upon him.
Instead of benefting him the result was q
serious injury The roughing it, instead of
building him up, pulled him down. He had
got beyond the point when he could ataud
such treatment When he returned from
the west 80 the White House he was in a
most distressing condition. When DR.. Lir-
coin came 10 SEQ him be found him suffer-
ing horrible pain. His legs were swollen
nearly to the size of his body. This vas
the poaitive indication of the development
of Bright's disease. DR.. Lincoln was ableto
relieve Mr. Arthur and to reduce the dis.
tension. But if he had not received medi-
cal attendance very promptly he would
have died at that time, and acting Vice
President George e. Edmunds would have
been his successor. The news ofthis attack
was never known outside Of the Presidents
immediate attendants in the White House,
Secretary Frelinghuysen and DR.. Lincoln.
None of the other members of the Cabinet
were told Of this attack. This second i'll.
ness was another one of the well-preserved
secrets of the Arthur!administration.-W Wash.
cor n Y. World.